Improvement in coating iron with copper



UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

THEODORE G. .-.BUOKLIN, or TROY, new YORK.

' IMPROVEMENT IN COATING IRON W ITH COPPER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 9,270, dated September 21, 1852.

1'0 all whom 't'tmay concern:

Be it known that I, Tnnonoan G. BUGKLIN, of the city of Troy and count y of Rensselaer, in the State of New York, have in v'en'ted. certain new and useful Improvements in the Coating of Iron with Copper or ahyOopper Alloys; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description otfuthe same. First. The nature of' myiinvention'consists in preparing the iron-either cast, malleable, or wroughtir'on-witha coating of metal which has a great aflinity for iron, as a medium on which to deposit and make copper orits alloys unitewith and form a coating for the iron.

Second. It also consists in employing an infusible material to cover the molten copper or alloy to serve the purpose'ot a wiper, so as to render thesurface of the coating-metal smooth; also, for retaining the heat of the molten 6011-,

per in thecrucibleforalonger period thauany of the substances heretofore used for suchpnn,

poses.

To enable others skilled in the art tomake and use my invention,I will proceed to describe it fully and clearly.

v I take iron castings or plate-iron of any kind and remove the sand and oxide scale from it or themby -n' 1e'ans of diluted sulphuric acid,

being in the proportions of twenty partsot water to one of the sulphuric acid of'commerce, in any of the usualmodes for cleaning iron,

, after which I dip the said cleaned cast or wrought iron in a solution of the muriate of ammonia, dissolved in a suitable vessel of iron or wood,iu the proportion of about eight parts,

. by weight, of water to one of sal-ammoniac,

and then take it out, when it is ready for the next process.

I have in a crucible or iron vessel 2. quantity of melted zinc (or zinc andtin) sutiicient for immersing the iron materials in'itr Into this molten zinc I dip the iron prepared with the sal-ammouiac solution, when the zinc will adg. here to the iron, forming a coating called gol va nizedjron. This zinc metal is the medium posit ve metal for the copper. l thenhave at hand a crucible of molten copper or any copper alloy, iuto which 1 dip the zinced irou,and' hold it iu'the copper until it ceases sis-sing, and then withdraw it, when it (the iron) is found to be covered with a complete and durable coating of copper. By dipping thoiron thus coppered or bronzed into the sal-ammoniac solution, then into the zinc, repeatingthe processes described; finishing always in the molten copper, coat upon coat of the copper will adhere.

face of the molten copper, orany alloy of which copper forms a part, with an infusiblo, or partially infusible, material when on' the surface of the melted metal-such as ground glass, but especially the fluoride of calcium-it acts as a wiper, and the iron, when drawn outof the molten copper or brass through the said infus'ible or partially infusible material, which floats on the surface, is found quite smooth and beautiful.

To render the union of thec'opper or'alloy more intimate with the iron,I partiallyoxidize the iron before zincing it. This isdone byexposing the iron for a. few days in the atmosphere, after being dipped in a weak acidulous solution, until it (the iron) is partially honeycombed in minute cells on the surface} The iron is then fit to be dipped in the zinc and treated, as described, with the copper or its alloys afterward. This process of previous oxidizing the iron makes the copper enter into more intimate union with the iron. After the iron is thus copperized the black oxide isliable to form on its surface (the copper) as itis cool ing; This I prevent by dipping the articles, whatever they may be, which J are thuscoppered into the sal-ammoniac solution after or when they have fallen to a low cherry-red heat. Wrought-iron articles may be dipped in the sal-ammoniac solution at a higher temperature than cast-iron, and the artisan will obtain by experience a knowledge of the proper dippingheat for all articles, according to their thickness.

I am aware that various processes have been tried for coating ironwithcopper, all of with have failed of being perfectly successful, and none of which have had-any success for coating cast-irbn.

I am aware that Mr. Pomeroy. has a patent for coating iron with copper by preparing the iron with clay; betray-process is entirely different, and, besides, my process coats cast and I therefore, to remedythis' \vrought iron 'very evenly, \i'hich no other pronot claim the preparation of iron with zinc in cessdoes. Cast-iron articles are rendered more the manner described; but

ductile by coating them with copper. Iron arl I claim- 'ticles by my process can be coated with brass 1. Coating cast, malleable, or wronght iron or any of the alloys of which copper forms a i with copper. or any of the alloys of which cop part.- The infnsible covering for the copper per forms a part, by employing a coating of acts as a wiper, also as a non-conductor of zinc (or zinc and tie) to cover the iron; as a heat, and thereby a great saving of fuel is cfi positive medium to make the molten copper or fected, as copper requires a high degree of heat its alloy adhere to the iron, in the manner enhto melt and keep it ina molten state. My instantially as described. rention is thereby of great value inothe arts, 2. The employment of an iufusible, or parfor the copper adheres more firmly to the iron tially infusible, substance or substances, espethan by plating the ironpr depositing the copcially the fluoride of calcium, as a wiper and $011; bya gal-fiery. I'tean tlaerelforeremost-usenon-conductor, as herein set forth.

u y app ie to copperize boi er-p ates of iron i a for sea-steamers toiprevent inernstations, and I "j THEODORE K it also can .be appliedto arthousand useful and i Witnesses:

economical purposes in the arts. 0. D. MUNN,

Having thus described my invention, I do AIMORBIS. 

